UK and allies agree expanded International Fund for Ukraine support
At the Copenhagen Conference today, the UK and a coalition of key allies and partners have agreed to expand the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) to finance military training and equipment for Ukraine to help the country free itself from Russia’s invasion.
Britain will put £250 million of the recently announced £1 billion into the IFU, a flexible low-bureaucracy fund, which will used to provide military equipment and other support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The fund will ensure a steady flow of money not just for the provision of vital new weapons, but the essential maintenance and repair of existing kit, and training to maximise the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s effectiveness on the battlefield.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met counterparts from fellow co-hosts Denmark and Ukraine in Copenhagen, along with representatives from other partner nations, to put together a plan for long-term military support for Ukraine.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
This conference sends a clear message to Russia. We will not tire and we will stand by Ukraine today, tomorrow and in the months to come.
The UK and partner nations have agreed to provide long-term military funding, ensuring a steady flow of finance to provide vital military equipment, essential maintenance of existing kit and maximising our UK-led international training programme for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The allies also discussed how to evolve their support for the training of Ukrainian military personnel, including offers for expanding and coordinating the international training scheme begun by the UK.
Britain has so far trained more than 2,300 Ukrainian personnel in the UK under a training programme announced in June. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Latvia have announced they will be joining the initiative, after the Netherlands previously announced its intention to support the scheme.
Statement by the Troika and the EU on the conflict in South Sudan
World news story
The UK, the United States, Norway and the EU acknowledge the Roadmap toward the end of a transitional government, calling for action and welcoming a commitment to peace
The Troika, the EU and its Member States acknowledge the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity’s announcement of a Roadmap towards the end of transition.
We note that the Roadmap includes details of the actions that will be taken and the timeframes for delivery. We share our expectation that this agreement will now translate into the sustained action required to deliver the Roadmap. We note with concern that the necessity for an extension to the peace process is the result of choices made by the government not to take the necessary steps that would have led to implementation.
Only sustained action and results, particularly on oil revenue transparency, as well as public financial and resources management, will generate the donor support requested by the Government of South Sudan. In this regard, we note the Government’s announcement to allocate specific funds in the 2022-23 budget for implementing the Peace agreement and the Roadmap. We urge the Government to disburse those funds in predictable and transparent ways in order for the international community to regain confidence.
We regret that the process of finalising the Roadmap was insufficiently inclusive. Civil society groups were given only limited time to review and comment on the Government’s proposal. We regard the inclusivity of any process as key to its legitimacy and urge the Government to consult in more detail before the process of ratifying the extension set out in article 8.4 of R-ARCSS is completed. Furthermore, we call on the Government to expand political and civic space to ensure that the voices of the South Sudanese people, including those who hold opposing views, are consistently heard throughout the implementation of the Roadmap.
The people of South Sudan, the Troika, the EU and its Member States, and the wider international community will judge deeds, not words. We need to see what will be different this time. To build confidence the Government should immediately demonstrate significant progress towards implementation of the outstanding elements of R-ARCSS, in accordance with the deadlines set out in the Roadmap. Ratification of the extension of the transition should occur after the government has demonstrated the sustained action and results promised in the Roadmap. It is through meeting the deadlines set out in the Roadmap that the Government can earn our collective trust.
Finally, we welcome President Kiir and First Vice President Machar’s reiteration of their commitment to peace. We remain convinced that the only path to peace, prosperity, and democracy for all South Sudanese lies in action by the country’s leaders to fulfil their promises and include all South Sudanese in a shared vision of their nation’s future.
Published 11 August 2022
Statement by the Troika and the EU on the conflict in South Sudan
World news story
The UK, the United States, Norway and the EU acknowledge the Roadmap toward the end of a transitional government, calling for action and welcoming a commitment to peace
The Troika, the EU and its Member States acknowledge the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity’s announcement of a Roadmap towards the end of transition.
We note that the Roadmap includes details of the actions that will be taken and the timeframes for delivery. We share our expectation that this agreement will now translate into the sustained action required to deliver the Roadmap. We note with concern that the necessity for an extension to the peace process is the result of choices made by the government not to take the necessary steps that would have led to implementation.
Only sustained action and results, particularly on oil revenue transparency, as well as public financial and resources management, will generate the donor support requested by the Government of South Sudan. In this regard, we note the Government’s announcement to allocate specific funds in the 2022-23 budget for implementing the Peace agreement and the Roadmap. We urge the Government to disburse those funds in predictable and transparent ways in order for the international community to regain confidence.
We regret that the process of finalising the Roadmap was insufficiently inclusive. Civil society groups were given only limited time to review and comment on the Government’s proposal. We regard the inclusivity of any process as key to its legitimacy and urge the Government to consult in more detail before the process of ratifying the extension set out in article 8.4 of R-ARCSS is completed. Furthermore, we call on the Government to expand political and civic space to ensure that the voices of the South Sudanese people, including those who hold opposing views, are consistently heard throughout the implementation of the Roadmap.
The people of South Sudan, the Troika, the EU and its Member States, and the wider international community will judge deeds, not words. We need to see what will be different this time. To build confidence the Government should immediately demonstrate significant progress towards implementation of the outstanding elements of R-ARCSS, in accordance with the deadlines set out in the Roadmap. Ratification of the extension of the transition should occur after the government has demonstrated the sustained action and results promised in the Roadmap. It is through meeting the deadlines set out in the Roadmap that the Government can earn our collective trust.
Finally, we welcome President Kiir and First Vice President Machar’s reiteration of their commitment to peace. We remain convinced that the only path to peace, prosperity, and democracy for all South Sudanese lies in action by the country’s leaders to fulfil their promises and include all South Sudanese in a shared vision of their nation’s future.
Published 11 August 2022
Ex-company director from Solihull to pay £11,200 for exporting banned waste
Court hears how containers were found to be made up of illegal household waste
Droitwich recycling site used as base before waste taken to Felixstowe and Southampton ports
The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted a former company director for illegally exporting banned household waste including nappies, clothing, textiles, tins and electrical items from a site in Droitwich, Worcestershire, to Indonesia in 2019.
At Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 10 August 2022, Tianyong Wang, 43, of Welcombe Grove, Solihull, Warwickshire, was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.
He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing in April 2022 to causing his dissolved company Berry Polymer Limited to export the waste to Indonesia. Shipping documents described the waste as plastic, which can be exported to Indonesia for recycling.
Howard McCann, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that between 27 June and 5 July 2019, Wang had caused his company to export some 382 tonnes of household waste in 22 sea containers from its site in Droitwich via the ports of Felixstowe and Southampton to Indonesia.
Opening up one of the 22 containers
Included in the waste were about 1,590 nappies or sanitary items, plus 1,338 electrical items and about 33,639 tins/cans.
Other contaminants included numerous items of clothing, textiles and rags, unopened plastic bags, glass, wood, golf balls, toys, a used toilet brush and contaminated food and drink cartons.
Mr McCann told the court that the defendant was the sole director of Berry Polymer Limited, a company which was dissolved on 24 August 2021, at the time of the offending.
Wang had agreed to sell some 500 tonnes of plastic bottle waste to a broker at £270 per tonne. A purchase order confirmed the load site of the waste as “Berry Polymer Limited, 20 The Furlong Droitwich WR9 9AH.” Berry Polymer invoiced the broker £103,210.20 for 382.26 tonnes of “plastic bottles.”
The offence was discovered by Environment Agency officers who conducted initial inspections of some of the 22 containers at the ports of Southampton (17 containers) and Felixstowe (5) on 4 July 2019.
These inspections recorded significant evidence of contamination, flies and, in some containers, a rotting decomposing smell.
The containers were deemed unfit for export at that stage and prevented from onward shipment to Indonesia.
Five of the containers were transported to the Environment Agency’s inspection facility at Felixstowe for full examination, one of the bales examined was so bad that an officer was physically sick.
Ultimately all the containers were returned to the site in Droitwich for reprocessing.
When interviewed, Wang, who was abroad at the time, said the material supplied was not as described because his company’s usual bale inspection had either not happened or was sub-standard.
In sentencing, District Judge Strongman said this was a “blunder” by Wang, which had cost him his business and his reputation.
Sham Singh, senior investigating officer for the Environment Agency, said:
This prosecution sends out a strong message that we will investigate and where necessary prosecute anyone found to be involved in illegally exporting waste.
Waste crime can have a serious environmental impact and puts communities at risk. It undermines legitimate business and the investment and economic growth that goes with it.
We support legitimate businesses and are proactively supporting them by disrupting and stopping the illegal waste exports.
If anyone suspects that a company is doing something wrong, please contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The charge
That Tianyong Wang, as the director of Berry Polymer Limited (company number 11887373 – dissolved), through your consent, connivance or neglect, and by virtue of Regulation 55(1) of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007, between 27 June and 5 July 2019, you caused that company to commit the offence of transporting waste specified in Article 36(1)(b) of the European Waste Shipments Regulation 1013/2006, namely 22 containers of waste collected from households, that were destined for recovery in Indonesia, a country to which the OECD Decision does not apply, contrary to Regulation 23 of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007.
Background
The export of waste collected from households to non-OECD (Organisation for Economic and Development) countries is prohibited by Article 36 of the Waste Shipment Regulations.
The offence of transporting waste to a non-OECD country in breach of the prohibition is created by Regulation 23 and the directors’ offence by regulation 55(1) of the TFS Regulations 2007. The offence is one of strict liability.
A shipment of waste starts at the point of loading in the country of dispatch and continues until the waste has been recovered at the facility in the country of destination. This is why the export is not regarded as an attempt, despite the containers being prevented from leaving Felixstowe and Southampton.
For waste to be categorised as green list such as plastic waste, it must have been collected separately or been properly sorted.
Properly sorted means that the sorting is sufficient to remove contaminants to the point where any contamination that remains is so small as to be minimal and does not prevent the waste from becoming green list waste.
Readout of the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Business Secretary’s roundtable with the electricity sector
News story
Below is a readout and quotes following the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Business Secretary’s roundtable with the electricity sector this morning.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
Countries around the world are feeling the impact of Putin’s damaging war in Ukraine. We know that this will be a difficult winter for people across the UK, which is why we are doing everything we can to support them and must continue to do so.
Following our meeting today, we will keep urging the electricity sector to continue working on ways we can ease the cost of living pressures and to invest further and faster in British energy security.
We are continuing to roll out government support over the coming months, including the second £324 instalment of the cost of living payment for vulnerable households, extra help for pensioners and those with disabilities, and the £400 energy bills discount for all households.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, said:
This morning I hosted industry leaders from the electricity sector to discuss what more they can do to work with Government and act in the interest of the country in the face of rising prices caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
We have already acted to protect households with £400 off energy bills and direct payments of £1,200 for 8 million of the most vulnerable British families. In the spirit of national unity, they agreed to work with us to do more to help the people who most need it.
Readout:
This morning the Prime Minister, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng met industry leaders from the electricity sector to discuss what more they can do to help people struggling with rising energy prices.
The Prime Minister, Chancellor, Business and Energy Secretary stressed the need to act in the interest of the country in the face of rising energy prices caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and how vital it was that the Western world continued to stand by the Ukrainian people during their battle for survival.
The Chancellor and energy firms agreed to work closely over the coming weeks to ensure that the public, including vulnerable customers, are supported as unprecedented global events drive higher energy costs.
Government support worth £37 billion is being provided this year to help people with the rising cost of living, including £1,200 for the most vulnerable households over the course of the year and £400 discounted off everyone’s energy bills from October.
It was noted that the market is not always functioning for consumers, and extraordinarily high bills will ultimately damage energy companies.
As set out in the Energy Security Strategy, the Government has launched a consultation to drive forward market reforms and ensure the market works better for consumers. Discussion focussed on how Government and industry can collectively drive forward reforms to ensure the market delivers lower prices.
The Prime Minister, Chancellor and Business and Energy Secretary emphasised the importance of investing in North Sea oil and gas, renewables, biomass and nuclear to strengthen our domestic energy security.
The Chancellor added the Government continues to evaluate the extraordinary profits seen in certain parts of the electricity generation sector and the appropriate and proportionate steps to take.
The Prime Minister set out that it will be for the next Prime Minister to make significant fiscal decisions.
